Deraliye

We had a wonderful experience at Deraliye Ottoman Restaurant. The atmosphere is warm, elegant, and authentically decorated with beautiful traditional details. We started with the mixed appetizer platter, served with fresh, warm bread – a perfect way to begin the meal. For mains, we ordered the Ali Nazik Kebab, Adana Kebab, and the Beef Tuffahiye. All three dishes were absolutely delicious, but the Beef Tuffaiye was a real highlight – tender, flavorful, and beautifully presented. The service was excellent: very attentive, professional, and friendly throughout. What stood out to us was that there were no staff outside trying to bring people in – which is rare in this area. The place was fully booked anyway, so we were happy we made a reservation in advance. Prices are a bit on the higher side, but absolutely fair for the quality, presentation, and overall experience. We would definitely come back and highly recommend this place!

*Gluten free friendly. In Istanbul for a week - best meal out so far. My partner and I tried two dishes from the Ottoman section of the menu. We both really enjoyed our meals and were trying to think about how we could recreate the dishes at home. I had the katmer to finish - reminded me of my grandmother's growing up. It was delicious, as was the ice-cream. My partner had chocolate ice-cream, which he also enjoyed very much. The service was excellent. Everything was explained very clearly including the history of our two dishes. Also, important to note they were able and ready to adapt dishes for a gluten allergy where possible and provided gluten free bread.

Sadly this is where all the tourist traps are, so food is a bit pricey. Food was very good and service was quick, although wait staff seem to be too protective of the nice seats even though nobody seems to have reserved them. I'd still recommend this or the one opposite it, to tick off the list though. We spent £60 for the two of us without alcohol, which is what we'd spend at a similar restaurant including drinks 😳

Dining at Deraliye was a wonderful experience. The restaurant offers a beautiful atmosphere and a unique journey through Ottoman flavors. Every dish was full of character and history. The service was warm, attentive, and professional. A perfect place to enjoy traditional Turkish cuisine with a refined touch. Highly recommended for anyone visiting Istanbul!

This restaurant pays attention to the details that make you want to come back. I met the executive Chef Necati, great guy that loves to cook and share his love of food. This is a must visit in old town Istanbul

Had a wonderful dining experience here! The food was absolutely amazing — full of flavor and beautifully presented. Really love every bite of it. Zidan, Harun, and their friends were exceptionally hospitable — warm, attentive, and genuinely welcoming. Their service truly elevated the meal and made the whole visit as delightful as it could be. Highly recommend this place not just for the food, but for the amazing people who run it. Will definitely be back!

wow! if you want to try something unusual you should come here. delicious ottoman cuisine, personal atmosphere, high service. the owner and chef of this restaurant cooked everything closer for the series Magnificent century. serving of some dishes today is the same as in the series. highly recommended, special thanks to the team of employees. celebrated mom's birthday separately congratulated her.

This Turkish restaurant truly lives up to its Bib Gourmand status. The grilled octopus with eggplant purée was tender and beautifully balanced, the lamb chops were perfectly cooked, and the Ali Nazik kebab was rich and deeply satisfying. The highlight, though, was the katmer, served warm with ice cream, it was hands down the best dessert I’ve ever had. I’d come back just for that. An exceptional meal from start to finish.

If you're in Istanbul and want to try something a little different than your typical kebab joint -- go to Deraliye. We found ourselves in Istanbul during Eid, and were so happy to have found this great restaurant open when a lot of other places were closed. This place is all about Ottoman-style dishes, and boy, they absolutely nailed it. We started with the Mixed Appetizer Plate, which was the perfect start to the meal. While we've had all of the appetizers multiple times in Turkey and during other travels, the flavors of the muhamara and dolmas were outstanding. They were so kind to keep bringing us more fresh hot breads to mop up all the yummy dips. The goose kebab was rich, juicy, and unlike anything we've tried before -- kind of like if duck and lamb had a delicious, flavor-packed baby. Then came the stuffed quince, which sounds unusual but totally works -- sweet fruit stuffed with spiced ground meat in this cozy, tangy sauce. We also had the pistachio kebab, and it was so tender with pops of nutty crunch and just enough spice. And of course, we had to try the classic Imam Bayildi/ Fainted -- slow-cooked eggplant goodness that melts in your mouth. Comfort food at its finest. The vibe? Upscale but relaxed -- no need to whisper or sit up straight the whole time. Our server was super friendly and gave us the backstory on a few dishes, which made the whole experience even cooler. Complimentary hot tea seemed like the norm across our time in Turkey, but I tried the Aurangzeb at almost every meal and this one didn't come out of a package. Fresh frothy and tart, it was so refreshing! If you're looking for something a little off the beaten food path that still hits every flavor note, Deraliye is it. 10/10 would go again!

Absolutely wonderful. Servixe, price and food was outstanding. I enjoyed the goose baked in bread and the apple baked beef and lamb. Really enjoyed this place. The only reason I am giving 4 stars is the place across the street with the same name but terrace has better pricing and the same menu.

Pricey food, but definitely worth it. They have a couple michelin stars under their belt. We got the five appetizer combo to split. It came with a variety of appetizers and very thin bread. We also ordered a fruity soup, which was surprisingly good! They also gave us complimentary Turkish tea and coffee at the end.

The rooftop location offered an amazing view of the city in Istanbul. Our tour guide Irena from Viator, suggested this location for lunch. The food we amazing, we had the mixed appetizer platter, Kirde Kebab and Roast Chicken w/ eggplant pure. It was so good we recommend it to our friends who had dinner there too

KenScale: 7.75/10 Visit: April 2023 On the last day of our Turkey trip back in April 2023, my wife Jun and I stayed in Istanbul to explore the city one last time. What we didn't realize at the time of planning our itinerary was that the day in Istanbul was during the Eid al-Fitr holiday weekend marking the end of Ramadan. That meant a lot of restaurants closed during the weekend (and I'll explain in a future post another thing to keep in mind if you are traveling to Turkey during this time which Jun and I so painfully experienced). We were staying in the touristy Sultanahmet neighborhood so there certainly was no shortage of restaurants that were still open but some spots that we had planned to check out were all closed. At the last minute, we stumbled upon a place called Deraliye for lunch, mainly drawn to its focus on the Ottoman palace cuisine. When it comes to a restaurant menu, Deraliye should get some credit for coming up with one that is very comprehensive in terms of telling the story of its dishes (such as whether and how they were prepared in the palace for sultans during the heydays of the Ottoman Empire). It could look like a touristy gimmick, but the food certainly wasn't bad at all. Jun and I have had the muammara spread (made with pepper paste) multiple times during our time in Turkey, and one of the fresher ones was from this restaurant. One thing we didn't have up until our visit to Deraliye was fried beef kebab (called the kirde kebab), and the dish from the restaurant, accompanied by yogurt and vegetable on a crunchy dough, was a delicious dish. On the other hand, while the boiled lamb neck was soft in texture, the addition of plum sauce unfortunately overwhelmed the meat. For dessert, don't skip the traditional Turkish dish katmer, a baklava dough with green pistachios on top and accompanied by ice cream. We've had this one at a restaurant in Cappadocia but the one at Deraliye was much better. You can most likely walk in for lunch anytime without booking in advance thanks to the spacious dining space. In fact, the restaurant was fairly slow when we arrived until a large American tourist group arrived in the middle of our meal. The décor of the restaurant will give you a feeling that you are somewhere inside a fancy Turkish palace. There is an extensive Turkish wine list, and our server, a lady by the name of Asma, was very friendly and attentive throughout our meal. If you are ready to eat for delicious Turkish dishes after all the sightseeing around such famous sites like Hagia Sophia and Blue Mosque, Deraliye offers a solid option to consider.

My first trip to a Michelin star restaurant. I've looked forward to this for a long time after watching cooking shows and starting my culinary journey 10 years ago. As I would say this restaurant has good food, I am for sure disappointed in the quality. I'd say this food was above average or very good. Compared to other fine dining, this was marginal. I'm not sure how a Michelin star got here. We decided to get the tasters menu and the waiter convinced us to order the dishes instead of the menu (for 2) as we would get more food and pay less. All the cold dishes were served at once. As many high end places will give you one at a time and allow you to savor flavors and cleanse your pallet between dishes, this place did not. I did not like this aspect. Of the cold dishes, the sailers roll stood out as excellent. Everything else was really just kind of average. The hot courses were the goose kebab, which is the puff pastry dish and the lamb kebab with the yogurt eggplant. The lam was OK. The yogurt eggplant was OK. The goose kebab was very seasoned and delicious, however the seasoning masked the goose flavor and it really tasted like beef. I had hoped to taste the goose flavor at least a little. The compote drink tasted like hi c. Dessert was nothing special. Price point was about $100pp (us). I would have gladly paid more for a better tasting menu. I cook better than this. Imo, this place is not worth this price point. Dishes lack correct seasoning, pop, acid, etc. I felt let down.

Nice setting. Service impeccable. Set meal with our tour group was unique and delicious. Felt like a sultan!

Came here for dinner on our last night in Istanbul and we're so happy we made this choice. The food was delicious and the dessert was absolutely stunning. Everyone were so nice. We came in a rush because we had 1 hour until our hamam appointment and when we told them, they were super accommodating, but they didn't make us feel rushed either. I highly recommend and can wait to be back in this beautiful city so I can come here and this time take my time.

Fantastic restaurant in the center of the Old City, an easy walk from the historical sites. We had a fabulous lunch there. It was a welcome cool, quiet and elegant place after touring. I started with an iceburg salad which was served with puffed bread and five different accompaniments including hummus with pine nuts, two eggplant dishes. For my main course I had grilled chicken over a seasoned eggplant purée. The service was five star. They brought bottles of water and the waiter explained each dish. Wonderful experience!

Fantastic restaurant, food, atmosphere service are all top top notch. Our waiter Kublai was superlative.

An uphill trek from the palace and park, but totally worth it if you can manage. A plus also is that it pretty much puts you right up to the Blue Mosque. We ate on the lower level restaurant which was a terrific experience. The service was top notch, attentive and considerate. We had the tessi kebap, lamb chops, chicken dish with eggplant and quail. Lived up to the high expectations Lonely Planet set. Tessi Kebap: 9/10 Lamb chops: 9/10 chicken dish: 6/10 Quail: 9/10 They treated us to a very nice baklava inspired desert and tea after meal. Dinner portions were spot on, and we didn't need to box anything up or throw anything away. Professionalism at its finest and executed by inspired chefs and staff.

We ate at the rooftop venue, there is one at the street level as well. The views, service and food were all amazing. Views of both the Blue and Haiga Sophia Mosques were breathtaking. Excellent menu with pictures of the food items to help you with your decision. Very attentive and helpful staff. I would highly recommend this restaurant for a beautiful elegant dinner in a beautiful city.

Sardor was very nice and attentive. Very yummy food, very pretty views. Expensive but worth it for the experience

We had an amazing dinner. Although we only took appetizers, they were incredible. We ordered mutabbal, arefe, borek and dried eggplant dish. Our waiter, Emrah, was very nice and served us very well.

Beautiful restaurant with excellent food and wonderful service. My husband came here and enjoyed an appetizer each (salad / soup), chicken shish / filled melon and baklava as dessert. Our server Zeydan was very friendly and attentive. Highly recommend this restaurant. It is not a tourist trap - it is worth coming here.

In our recent visit to Istanbul, we had a chance to experience this creative dining spot in the heart of old city. In a place that you are constantly being called into the touristic banalities, it took us some time to find this place. Menu is very creative, location great. Service is good and not interrupting. Everyone loved their food and traffic in this small side street didn't bother much. Good value in menu prices but not cheap (On $ base is cheap of course). Afiyet olsun!

I really liked the food, they bring out pomegranate fruit shots to start - they are delicious. They cater for gluten free across the whole menu, and can cook without bread. The staff were welcoming and pointed out some places to us nearby. #ProTip - you get 10% off if you say you stay at the hotel next door.

Opened this season-July 2014- replicating 16th century Ottoman recipes, this place put on the table a premium meal at a reasonable price. We all said it was the best meal we'd had in Turkey and generally a stand out.

Reasonable price, great food and wonderful service！ Appetiser combat recommended by the house captured the best taste of ottoman cruisine Worth a visit!

Delicious food... really special meals for sultans! Great attention and location. Try the dishes with lamb and dry fruits... delicious delicious

The dining experience here is incredible! From the ambiance to the dishes, my experience was impeccable. The food was delicious and full of flavors. The decor was beautiful and elegant. It is about a five minute walk from the Sultanahmet Mosque (The Blue Mosque), right in the middle of the city. The staff was incredibly friendly! I visited this restaurant twice in my five day stay because I could not get enough! Highly recommend!

Authentic luxury Deraliye opened a few months ago. It is one of the three restaurants in Istanbul specialized in Ottoman palace cuisine, where the chefs re-create dishes which were concocted at various times in the kitchens of the seraglios, and particularly at the golden age of the empire, the 15th and 16th centuries, in the kitchens of Topkapi palace. I know a bit of that cuisine since I have had dinner in the other two venues, and I consider it a must for gourmet visitors to Istanbul. So last December I went to try Deraliye. Their winter menu mainly consists of a choice of dishes from the time of Suleiman the Magnificent, prepared on the occasion of feasts at the palaces of Topkapi and Andrinople. After a glass of homemade sherbet, on the house, I had lamb medallions with plum sauce, then cauliflower salad with tahini, and as main course I had baked quince stuffed with minced meat, rice and dried fruit. For dessert, I wanted to try the almond halva but my waiter told me that it was not the best time of the year for almonds, and he recommended me to taste the pistachio ice cream instead. I drank a glass of house wine, a Shiraz, and coffee, on the house. Ottoman sherbets are soft drinks made of fruit and spices. It is always a pleasant surprise for visitors to Turkey who try them for the first time. The sherbet they served me as a welcome gift was a pomegranate flower sherbet. Not fit for my palate, but incontestably well made. The lamb medallions at Deraliye are a mix of neck and brain flavoured with thyme and other herbs, served cold. They have a subtle taste, well balanced by the sweetness of the plum sauce. The Ottomans loved offals as much as gourmets in Western countries do today and restaurants that serve tripe soup are still very popular in Turkey. The cauliflower salad with tahini is one of the most enthusing combination of flavours I have tasted in Istanbul. It may look extremely simple, but it is a little wonder. My waiter was happy to hear my praises, so he revealed me a part of the secret: one single drop of rose water to sweeten the tahini sauce... The quince was masterly cooked ; its consistency was preserved but I could easily cut it with the knife. The minced meat, a mix of lamb and veal, was as succulent as the best kebabs. With the herbs, the pine nuts, the currants, the dish is a rich combination of sour, sweet and spicy flavours. In summer, it is prepared with melon instead of quince. I cannot wait to try it. Since my childhood, pistachio ice cream has always been my favourite. The manager of Deraliye traveled all the way down to Gaziantep, in southeastern Anatolia, to find a supplier of ice cream made from the freshest, greenest and most delicate pistachios in the country. I don't need to say that it is superior to any pistachio ice cream I have ever had. I am not a wine specialist, but among the moderately priced Turkish wines I have tasted, the Shiraz I had here is not my favourite. Connoisseurs should pick a bottle of higher quality wine in the list. My meal at Deraliye cost me 120 Turkish liras, that is less than 50 dollars. Some kebab restaurants in Istanbul would charge more, and fish restaurants on the Bosphorus or faux fine dining venues that sell poor imitations of French or Italian specialties are much more expensive. When the Ottoman emperor entertained a sovereign or an ambassador, diners were sitting on the terrace of a lavishly furnished palace commanding the Bosphorus strait, and food was served in solid gold dishes, while an orchestra was playing Ottoman classical music. At Deraliye, furniture is not ostentatious, there is no seascape to gaze at, the plates are made of ceramic or copper and the music comes from loudspeakers. Luxury, here, is in the food and the service. Every dish is surprising, prepared by specialist cooks with the best seasonal ingredients available in the country, and served by knowledgeable staff who keep the word of the restaurant to treat you as a sultan. I highly recommend Deraliye to any traveler eager to taste authentic local delicacies.

We had a fantastic anniversary dinner. Food was excellent and wine was well paired. Ambience is quite classy with a whirling dervish as entertainment. Service was great.